Sunday Kind of Love

SCORE. Mom just returned from weekend trip to New York and I think she and my aunts may have relieved the city of Brooklyn (I KNOW) of its supply of knockoff luxury items. I woke up to a kitchen full of lovely various "designer" drool-worthy goodies. There were treasures for everybody, including a big purple Dolce & Gabbana purse and a sparkly gold makeup bag for me!

Can anyone guess what this is? Gross, right?


Give up? It's the product of a culinary experiment gone wildly, wildly wrong. Microwaved-to-mush chocolate chip cookies, to be exact. Yum, huh? DON'T JUDGE ME: I ate them. Just like that. I may have reached a new low. Or was it a new high? They were delicious!

Ooh Head Over Heels is on! About the woman who moves in with models and falls in love with a guy who works for the FBI! And the mafia and fashion industry is involved! And Freddie Prinze Jr. and Monica Potter are in it! I love this movie.



New purse, cookies, and a bad chick flick? Am currently in happy place.

Basketball and Campy TV

All is well al momento. Ms. Politics and I actually ended up going to the game. Shimmy shimmy cocoa puff, shimmy shimmy OWW!

Never mind that I had to practically chase Ad Guy around campus and it took three--count them: me, Music Lover, and Top Chef--to execute this search-and-rescue mission for those damn tickets. Never mind.

After a day of shopping with Dr. Argentina and Cali Girl, Ms. P and I drove our arses downtown and took in the basketball game, people-watched (a specialty of mine), theorized about life, took pictures, got lost...you know, the usual.

Great Saturday. And Al and I are as deeply in love as ever, thanks for asking.

Am now indulging in my show du jour, The OC.** I know, right? Similar to the storied allegiances to either Prince or Michael Jackson or Nas or Jay-Z, TV watchers usually fall into one of two camps: One Tree Hill vs. The OC. (Except for Cali Girl, she likes both. But she [is a loser who] also entertains shows like The Gastineau Girls and that one about the Kardashians). As for me, Lucas, Peyton, and Naley rule my heart, until CG made me borrow her Season 1 DVD of the OC, which I reluctantly watched.

**Does anyone else watch?

Horror of horrors, my heart now belongs to Seth Cohen. He's quirky, smart, and he loves the holidays like I love the holidays. Which is a lot.

In the same vein, I hate that skinny heifer Marissa Cooper. I usually loathe blonde leading ladies on TV: Peyton Sawyer (sometimes), Serena van der Woodsen, and don't get me started on that whiny-ass Meredith Grey. YICK. Marissa is no different. I hate her.

But anyway.

The first season has held my interest for the last two weeks, hopefully the next season won't disappoint. If it does, I'm so going back to One Tree Hill.

Pre-Holiday Rambling

Grievances:

-Sometimes you are a selfish brat who deserves a good, hard, pinch.
-Please, just...be quiet and let me do me.
-You did that just to fuck with me, didn't you? You smarmy, hateful bastard, you.
-We take you for granted and kind of treat you bad, but I love you more than words can say.

Okay. Glad THAT's over with. Because today was a good day and airing out my grievances is just a small part of it. Let's see...Youngest Sister, my mom, and I got our hair done today which...took awhile. Freshly blow-dried, my hair takes on an unfortunate mullet personality. Also, I realized all of my jeans are about a size too big. They were loose even before I lost five pounds--which, by some Christmas miracle, I totally did--because I have a habit of buying clothes, especially pants, a leeetle too big. They fit adequately in the store, then as I wear and wear and wear them, they start to droop and get baggy. Like, there is one pair I can put on without unbuttoning them. Jeans are supposed to be a bit tight when you try them on 'cause they stretch, but because I have a fear of Dunlap's disease, when I try on a pair of pants I suddenly get a whatiftheyshrinkandIlooklikeasausage panic attack and go up a size, which means I have a closet full saggy jeans. The next time I go to Old Navy I'm going to have to force myself to get a pair that fits fits. Clearly my issues extend far and wide, even into purchasing denim. This is why I like sweatpants.

Perhaps I lost those five pounds trekking through the neighborhood [ok, I took Precious the dog for a walk last week], which is less like a friendly subdivision and more like evil, mountaneous, snowy terrain these days. It won't stop snowing! It has snowed every day since Thursday night--which makes driving or walking outside a nice [dangerous and kind of scary] adventure worthy of only my Ugg boots as suitable footwear. But secretly, it's kind of fun to walk/lunge/jump/stomp through 2 feet of snow. Plus, it's so pretty outside, from the warmth of a house, to look out and see houses lit up against the fluffy white backdrop like a snowglobe.

A few weeks ago, I guess my dad started reading Magic Johnson's book about how he makes his money (here's the key, people: ownership. Think big.) and really liked it. Dad's always been a Magic fan--they were even at Michigan State together (at the signing, Magic had on a MSU sweatshirt). This evening, Dad and I braved the snow and went to Barnes and Noble where No. 32 himself was signing books. Well, the newspaper said he'd only sign books, but Magic was such a good sport that he signed shirts, magazines, basketballs, etc--seriously, some people had like 12 books, and Magic signed them all. I told him I was a Sports Journalism major, and he was impressed (like every other male is when I tell them that) and he posed for a picture with Dad and I. It was funny because both him and Dad are super-tall so I stood in the middle. He's cool people--add him next to Mark Texiera (how about those Yankees?), Gayle Sayers, and Joe Torre on the list of Really Nice Sports Guys. And yes, I am name-dropping. Deal with it.

Sidebar: a lot of people were wearing Pistons gear like, "especially" to meet Magic, and I was just thinking, um why? It's not like he played for Detroit. And I mean, come on, Pistons vs Lakers is a CLASSIC rivalry. Derr.

Speaking of the Pistons, I cannot effing wait to go to the game. If I think about it too much I'll pass out from excitement. Even though they have work to do in this nasty transition period. But here is the mark of a true fan: you don't disappear when things get tough. And right now, things are tough.

Sidebar: I'm watching the Pistons game right now (we won, thank God), but why does the camera follow a player until RIGHT before he takes his jersey off as he heads into the locker room? Just to mess with us, that's why.

Last night, I stayed up until 5am browsing shirts, jackets, underwear, nightgowns, and jewelry that I can't exactly afford at the moment. Why I torture myself, I have no idea. I actually kind of hate buying clothes, to be truthful. I think I might start buying clothes online and get the twofold bonus of a) saving myself a headache and 2) getting packages in the mail. The idea of clothes makes me happy but I am soooo not a fashion girl. I'd rather buy books, makeup, bargain bin DVDs, or, um, food. Oooooh...food...like bubble tea and chocolate cake, yum...

In case you haven't noticed, I'm going through a bit of a snit with my writing (the snit being that I think it sucks) so we'll just have to make do with these posts until I Find Myself. I think I've been lost for awhile.

What a day, What a Day

The grand list of Lucky's Favorite Holidays goes a little something like this:
1. Christmas
2. My birthday
3. Thanksgiving

The list is longer, but in this case the rest are really irrelevant.

Pay special attention to that second one, because it's coming up soon--November 7. **Yes, on this day that the Lord hath made, I was born almost 20 (gasp!) years ago. If I haven't said this before, birthdays are a huge deal to me. It's partly because I started school early, so I'm always the last birthday--even now all of my friends are older than me. Age before beauty, I say.

If you're wondering whether or not my age has ever kept me from partying with my of-age friends, rest assured that no, it has not. Well, I was turned away from a club freshman year because I was only 17, but I was also so very, very stupid: I'd forgotten my ID anyway (it was my first time, okay?). Me and Ms. Politics had to ride the train and then walk back to campus in the chilly [cold and unfriendly] fall night. One of us was wearing a very short skirt. And it wasn't Ms. Politics.

Celebrating birthdays isn't immature, either, it makes total sense: your birthday is the day you came upon this very earth! Basically I'm a total kid when it comes to birthdays. It's funny because my birthday usually falls on Election Day, and this year, ironically, it doesn't. When I was little, I used to think that people were making a big deal about Nov. 7th because it was my birthday, not voting day (secretly I still think so).

**I giggle every time I say "November 7th." It's the 5-year old in me, okay?

I also reserve the right to be incredibly self-serving on my birthday (everyone does, in my opinion, so it's okay). And especially with the tough time I've been having lately, a little self-indulgence is the order of the day. So without further adieu, we have Lucky's Birthday List (non-comprehensive):

1. Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane on DVD
2. a digital camera (my old one broke)
3. Zoolander and Transformers on DVD
4. "I Love Black People" t-shirt
5. A birthday kiss! (a. negotiable, 2. cyber-kisses from the blogosphere are totally accepted and invited, FYI)

As I said, it's a work in progress. I'm not sure if I want to have a party or anything, or even go out to dinner. I wouldn't mind a quiet evening with me, my DVDs, and, well, chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting (ahem, Motown Lover, Sistah Girl, and Top Chef, y'all know y'all can throw down in the kitchen!) would be nice. I have to think of one totally extravagant and girly thing to do for myself, though. A movie-marathon? Mini shopping-spree? Help, dear readers! What should I do for my special day? Share your brilliance. And for kicks, spill: what was your best birthday so far?

I'll [show] tell you mine if you [show] tell me yours. Ha.

Hear My Plea

And I'll make it short.

WORLD, SEND ME A MAN.

Because the undies I got today (don't side-eye me, y'all, they were free) say "Lucky" on them by happy coincidence and it got me to thinking that I have amassed a rather large collection of oft-mentioned unmentionables and the only thing sadder than no one ever getting to reap the benefits of my lingerie addiction would be something majorly depressing like watching some person who's received the Dementor's Kiss stagger around reliving the worst moments of his/her life.

Whilst wearing Crocs.

Bear with Me, My Mind is a Jungle

Yummy. Pretzels are good. I've been around the world (not) and the best pretzies ever still come in the blue bag at the titian shopping emporium that is CVS.

Left TV Station early, to, apparently, my own detriment. As soon as my ride arrived is when there was actually semblance of an assignment. But I wasn't about to waste all that gas, so I departed. But tomorrow (well, the next time I go back, Wednesday), is a new day. Funny-ish: today a woman was named the new GM of the station and on her tour of the station, she came up behind me while I was on Gawker.com. Oops. Hopefully my non-work wasn't too evident, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was. Because such is my life.

Got into nice, petty little squabbles with various family members almost back-to-back; contemplated over and over the joys of living alone. Had to hide in the basement with a movie and my laptop for solace, along with my beloved pretzels, que claro.

While on the quest for those deliciously salty snacky-snacks, I narrowly avoided a collision in the CVS parking lot. For once a near-accident wasn't my fault! I had to honk my horn, which, even against the rudest of drivers, I never do. It was that serious, y'all.

Question: does Lord Voldemort ever have to go to the bathroom? I can't imagine him thumbing through Entertainment Weekly while, you know, peeing. Oh, wait, boys stand up, don't they? But what about...well, never mind. Also, how come there's never any mention of showering or daily ablutions in the HP septology (pretty sure I made that term up)? Hmm. Golly I love that Ron Weasley.

Over the weekend, I discovered that I suck at all things financial. After buying a (really cute) top and undies from Forever 21, I mentally calculated my expenditures and nearly fell out. I tried to prioritize my purchases, but, um, epic fail. It was supposed to go (in order of importance):

-Clothes
-...shit, I forgot the order already. I guess that's my problem. Well, I know food was at the bottom of the list and makeup, nail polish, and underwear was somewhere in between. But I am weak in the face of pretzels, the shirt was in a truly majestic leopard print, and the undies were on sale for 99 CENTS. What would YOU have done?

Ask and Thou Shalt Receive

This morning, I just said, "nope. Uh-huh, no way, Jose." After a phone call to Intern Easy E and a voice message to Intern Director #1, I officially played hooky from TV Station today. It's always a crap shoot whether or not I actually do work, so I took a chance and paid it. I mean, Website Girl's launch party was tonight, downtown, but it's not that deep. Well, there was a fashion show, no cover, and free cupcakes, but--hold on. What the hell was I thinking?! Shouldn't I have gone? No, no, today was a much-needed personal day. Yes, I went back to sleep after I canceled and didn't wake up until 1:30pm. Duh.

Tomorrow's my mother and her twin sister's (Lil' Cousin's mom) birthday. I won't tell you how old she is 'cause a proper lady never tells her age (I'm 19, by the way), but it is a big one. Tomorrow night will be a big dinner at Fancy Chinese Restaurant--Chicken Chow Mein, here I come!

God, today was laid-back fab. I shopped for Mom's present (shit, I forgot to get Aunt Twin's gift) and okay, bought a few lil' things for myself, took Precious the Dog for a walk, and watched the fifth Harry Potter movie and Big Momma's House (better than this atrocity and abomination). Can I just predict that the sixth and seventh movies will be hotfire? I will be front and center at both midnight premiers. Speaking of, I haven't seen any of the summer blockbusters. Iron Man, Hancock, the Incredible Hulk, not even Wall-E for crimity's sake. Maybe I will watch them online, I do have a penchant for superhero movies. I will not, however, miss The Dark Knight. Point blank period.

I have a question that has been on my mind since I spent the day on Blackcollegewire.com: How much do you know about Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs)? Can you name three? How about seven? I get the feeling that the general public doesn't understand or know anything about them, which often leads to misinterpretation of their intent when and if a Black College actually does make the national stage. So, anyone out there have at least trivial knowledge of HBCUs? Have a question about them? I really am just curious.

A Sign that I Might be Overworked

Will write more later, for now exhausted. Had to put the store (VS) back to rights after the Big Sale last night-turned-morning. Wanted to slit my wrists; will never get tricked into taking 9pm to what was supposed to be 5:30am but turned into 8am shift EVER AGAIN. But will this prevent me from going straight from TV Station tomorrow to shop at the very mall at which I toil? No, as you may have guessed, it will not.

Anyway, I could be losing my mind: the other night, I had a dream that Amy Winehouse was blowing crack-laced smoke in my kitchen, and that my mother (my mother! Who has never had anything stronger than an Apple Martini in her life) was smoking a joint in the basement.

Disturbing in every sense of the word.

So You Had a Good Day

I'm happy for you, because I did, too.

It started off as possibly being not-so-good, though. I was almost late (the outfit I ended up in provided evidentiary support of that claim), the skies were rainy and gray, and the worst: Hairstylist J hurt his hand! He's been out of commission all week with a pinched nerve. Of course I freaked out in the car, not because I need my hair done (well, partially, I admit), but because I love Hairstylist J to death and it would majorly suck if he couldn't do hair anymore, mine included. But I texted him at TV Station and he said he'd be back to work soon. I told him not to rush, though, I can't have his hand falling off in the middle of my press and curl.

At TV Station, I did a phone interview for Website Girl with a local rapper, about his music and his tour and stuff. He was a great interview, and really nice. I know the common standard is that many interview subjects aren't forthcoming with information, and can even be downright curt, but luckily I haven't come across too many folks like that. If anything, I've learned to ask better questions. But Local Rapper was great. I can't wait to write the story. The bad part of it all was when I rewound the tape to transcribe it. Holy shizz, I never knew how nasally nauseating my voice is! At some parts I had to turn the volume down so I wouldn't gag at the sound of my crack-enhanced, Valley-girl tones. I know I'm probably exaggerating, but seriously, I might get one of those automated voice-mails because I am thoroughly disgusted and mildly embarrassed.

But, this evening, I got a pleasant surprise. Turns out, I got a scholarship through this journalism association for $2500. Or, as my mom pointed out, 6 months of rent! That was the one that I was complaining about because of the postage, when I ran into the Runner at the post office. This scholarship was particularly tumultuous because I didn't have a transcript and turned the application in late, if I recall correctly. And lo and behold, I got it! But honestly, I don't really see it as, "ooh, go me, I rock!" as much as "Good, this at least puts a little dent into the cost." I did have fun picking out my headshot, though. And, at the end of August, I might get to go to the association's annual convention in Chicago. Fun!

This deserves a treat, no? I'm thinking Forever 21 undies sale. And please don't give me any grief over my underwear addiction, because I've come to terms with it. I have to ask, though, do people actually buy panties from F21? I mean, they're like 3 for $10, but they're not low-quality, are they? Because, I mean, underwear that's priced so low seems kind of risky.

It's Worth it, I Swear

A few lil' tidbits:

-I am still searching for the Blackberry C. I've been on Craigslist for God knows how long sending out emails. One guy just texted me saying that his had been sold. Yay for the quick response, boo for the bad news. And plus, after he told me, he went all, "So, how's your night?" and tried to, like, have a convo! Sir, sir, sir, no. I don't want to have to throw you in the douchebag file, but please don't force my hand.

-The BET Awards were mildly entertaining, moreso than the foolywangery of years past and of other BET events, like the fuckery that was this year's Spring Bling. Of course Chris and Rihanna were there:



(This is them rehearsing, even though they performed separately. Boy, you so professional! Who am I kidding? I'd still hit.)

When he performed "Take You Down," I literally (and slightly embarrassingly) screamed. And the camera totally panned to Rihanna, who was in the audience and, of course, cheering for her man. When Rihanna performed, Captain Obvious Camera got a shot of Chris singing along while she performed "Take A Bow." I almost passed out from the cuteness of it all. Of course RiRi's outfit was fly as hell, too. Swoon. Al Green's performance of Love and Happiness was possibly the best moment of the show; no one can cue the black backyard barbecue-style dancing in the aisles quite like Reverend Al (FYI: this is an old clip, but you get the idea). I can't wait to see tomorrow's blogosphere's rundown of the event. Unfortunately I will be at TV Station, but I just know the recaps on YBF and Crunk and Disorderly will provide hours of relaxing, entertaining enjoyment when I get home. And I just know the stans are ready to rip Beyonce a new one for not performing like she was rumored to. I'm over her anyway. Girl, bye!

-I need to find something to wear to internship tomorrow. Because the weather around here infamous for changing on a dime, it could either be ridiculously hot or furiously rainy. Le sigh.

-Sidenote: In the very near future I think I might "redecorate" this blog. 'Tis time for a change, no?

Are You Shopping Anywhere?

Middle Sister had a nice lil' birthday. She's at her friend's house at her party as we speak. I've never been very social/sociable. Loud, impulsive, or flirty, yes. Had a group of friends or a "circle" or anything like that, or the ability to "work" a room? Not so much, not until I got to college, anyway. I mean, I guess I had a group here or there (BFF did throw me a surprise 16th birthday party), but I mostly keep to myself. This has often been perceived many different ways, including being "standoffish" or "pout," but I've always been the type to float to my corner every now and again and enjoy being there. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being around people, but just as much, even though sometimes I lament it, I really do crave my solitude. It keeps me from going crazy.

I got paid today, but in my head, my check is already gone! My materialistic side has reared its fugly head. But I will get just the essentials this time, and save the rest. Essentials include:

-Blackberry Curve (this may not be possible, it cost more than I thought)
-necklace with anchor charm (I've wanted it for a really long time)
-camel patent-leather heels (for work)
-stuff from VS that's on sale (I have a discount. Come on now)
-nail polish: OPI's St. Petersburgundy or Essie's Peach Daquiri ('cause I'm tragically addicted to nail color)

See? Compared to my original list (which is more like an anthology), that's not too bad. I won't even get a Bubble Tea or pick up the latest Cosmo. I know. It's called restraint.

A Long and Fruitful Life

Don't stone me! Don't send me to the gallows! I know I've been ghost, well, it feels like I've been. I've been super-duper busy and therefore tired as all get-out. But I did see all the comments everyone left about the letter and I appreciate them. When you're embarking on a soul-searching revolution (oh yes, it's that big), it helps to have a cheering section.

Anywho, I will say that Monday was a particular brand of bitch. I interned at the station from 10 until 5, drove home, changed clothes, and went to VS to help set up for the monumental sale we have every year. I love this sale, I have spent copious amounts of dollars at that sale. But I had no idea how much work it takes to put it together. Just like I had no idea we'd be there until 6:30AM setting up the store. By the end, I was a zombie. All I remember is my fried brain being like, "Blah blah Appletini yaddy yaddah Halo perfume it's hot as hell in this store Very Sexy hoo-hah so tired yakkety-yak can i go home now?" And then I had to come back to the store at noon to work again. You do the math. It was a lot.

I will be up at that sale using my discount, though. There are pieces from the Sexy Little Things, Body, and Angels collections with my name all over them. And I haven't even gotten to the Beauty department yet! There is serious work to be done, yo.

Interning is a refreshing change because the work is kind of spread out. Like I spent today on wikipedia looking up various assassinations, just because my work was done and I had nothing else to do. I covered Lincoln, JFK, Diana Princess of Wales, and John Lennon for good measure. Next time I might make it to Jimmy Hoffa and Selena, or the story of the Russian royal family, you know, the one that Disney movie Anastasia was based on. Fun times.

I'm also sad to report that Honey the hamster is no longer with us. She was Little Sister's responsibility, but she spent most of her life in her cage, doing her own thing. She was cute. I'd take her out occasionally. But, ah, Honey, I hardly knew ye. Rest in peace, my furry little friend.



This was back when she was just a little chicken nugget of a thing. She grew to about the size of a small Nerf ball.

Tomorrow is Middle Sister's birthday. I hope it goes better than her last birthday, when we got into a huge fight. You know the kind. The type you only have with your family members, that you don't even like to think about because the awful memory of the things each person said is enough to bring tears to your eyes? Yeah, it was one of those. So let's wish for better things, shall we?

Funny story. My Intern Boss passed around his camera because there was a picture of "some guy...everyone wanted a picture of him. Does anyone know who he is?" No one knew, and finally I asked to see it. It was a picture of the (tall and sexy) actor Boris Kodjoe, who apparently had stopped by the effing studio earlier that day! I was like, are you kidding? They had never heard of him or seen him at all. I had to pull up his Imdb listing. He's so tall, they thought he was a third-string Piston. SMH.

After my last post, I feel like I have to top that one with an even better one, and feel as if I'm failing miserably, LOL. Y'all will just have to settle for regular ole Lucky today. Other than being extremely tired yet happy be be bloggin' again, I'm just sailin' along.

It's Kind of Hot, Isn't It?

Lordy but today was positively sweltering. But ice cream on a hot Saturday is the best remedy (thanks, Auntie! [Little Cousin's mom]). Still, instead of holing up to watch Grey's for hours (well, after a few episodes), I went to Target to buy a Father's Day present for Dad. He's just like me to shop for: on our birthdays or whatever, both of us ask for what we actually need. Like socks or undershirts or sports bras (well, that's me, obviously). And it's totally a genetic thing: Granddad, my dad's dad, asked for long johns last Christmas. I really am my father's daughter. Like yesterday, for example. You know the scene in that Amanda Bynes movie "What a Girl Wants" where she and her dad don't notice that they're mirroring each other's movements perfectly? Well that's how we were...it was pretty funny. He really is the best dad ever (to go along with the best mom ever, of course).

At Target there was this tall, Black, handsome grandpa walking with his wife and wearing black Converse All-Stars. I know I smiled like a huge dork when I passed him 'cause seeing him in those shoes just made me happy.

Little Cousin and I watched "Terminator" yesterday, his favorite movie du jour. I never realized how misogynistic that movie is. That or the horrendous hair and clothing. I guess I kept articulating it while we watched, and I guess LC picked up on it. When he watched it later with Middle Sister, he was like, "Her hair is so 80s!" Impressionable, much?

The rudeness! I'm watching "Hairspray" and Michelle Pfifer's character just asked if the musical sounds of [my city] were "the cries of people being mugged?" It's not right, but it's okay! That's why our motto is "We Don't Like You Either." Bitch.

Amanda Bynes is so cute, ever since "Ask Ashley" and "The Amanda Show."

You know what is sad? I was aimlessly wheeling my shopping cart down the aisles at Target for a minute, daydreaming. The first thought that popped into my head when I snapped out of it was, "Let me stop wheeling around, I'm wasting gas." LOL, right? There's a reason why money issues are one of the main causes of divorce: it's on everybody's mind because prices of things are just ridiculous! I went to the movies last night (by myself, I needed to get away) and the ticket was $10! I almost snatched my money back, thinking, where in Republican-caused inflation hell did the $8 tickets go?! And when I went to 7-11 for some M&M's, they were $1 instead of 60 cents! That was the final straw of life. This has got to stop...times is hard, yo!

PS, Laundry Watch ain't over.

Ordinarily I am diametrically opposed to no-talent celebrities getting press and/or public attention, but I have to admit: today I watched a little of "Living Lohan," that show about Lindsay Lohan's mom trying to propel her other daughter (next meal ticket) into stardom. Most of the time I just shook my head like, "Lord, have mercy." But it wasn't totally vomitous. There was one scene where she went to this performing arts workshop and was hella uncomfortable because she was in the midst of people her age with REAL TALENT. The show had glimpses of actual reality (a sad rarity): Dina Lohan (White Oprah) is the quintessential embarrassing mom, and Ali Lohan is a typical bratty teenager. Even though I don't believe in pseudo-celebrities, I had to give that scene of"LL" a begrudging Well-Played. But when I saw a commercial of "True Hollywood Story: The Kardashians," it was another stab to my shriveled black heart.

Material Girl

Allow me to unleash my inner beauty blogger for a moment. Tonight, on the quest for super soft, silky skin, I ventured in the Holy Mecca of beauty booty: my mom's closet. And it did not disappoint. I found the tub of Lush's Karma Kream that we got her last Christmas. Lush is a line of bath and body stuff that uses natural ingredients and recycled packaging, so you know I love it. Some of their stuff is pretty cool, like their bath bombs and this moisturizer that looks like Jell-o. Fresh out of the shower, I applied some Karma Kream to my shoulders at first, and stuff works, y'all. It has a unique fragrance, and I can't stop rubbing my cheek against my shoulder 'cause it's so silky! I've liked Lush for awhile, but the price is a little rich for my blood. The Karma Kream cost about $25 bucks. But the body cream I want from Carol's Daughter, my other skincare love, is about $30. Once I get paid, though, the price will be quite justifiable to have touchable skin. And seeing as I don't spend that much money on clothes, I think it's a fair trade :)

Probably TMI: As much as I love skin stuff, however, nothing seems to be working for the fugly chicken bumps on my upper arms! The hell? Does anyone else get these in the summertime, 'cause they are ruining my sleeveless swag (even though I doubt they're noticeable to anyone but me).

Also, I finally went to the Girlprops website, and boy, am I glad I did. It's an accessories site, and their stuff is everywhere, and super cheap, thank God! I have a feeling that my girls would really like this site; we're all pretty much jewelry junkies. This site might even make me get over my paranoia about online shopping (I'm scared that I'll never get my order). But for this necklace (that's only $6.99, might I add), I totally would make an exception:




A horseshoe! Get it? Because I'm Lucky!

If you had to choose a charm to represent you, what would it be?

When it Rains, it Pours

Thank goodness. Actually did some work at the station today. I edited stories and they actually went on the station's website! Just like that. There's no byline, though, so I can't really use them in my portfolio. I also worked with the nicest intern I've met so far, hence her nickname, Miss Manners. She even let me follow her out of the parking lot onto the freeway so that I wouldn't get lost like I did on Monday (I asked passersby for help and got two different sets of directions). Before she got there, though, Top Chef and I texted all morning about our mutual boredom in the workplace.

Took Precious the Dog on a nice, long walk when I got home, squeezing in some endorphins and some exercise before a torrential downpour claimed the not-so-friendly skies. It's still going on now. Snow and rain are both so lovely to me. They give you a nice excuse to snuggle up inside. The only bad part about it was the humidity, the almost-rain in the air; it made my hair go poufy. Middle Sister sat me down with her polka-dotted flatiron, though, and all was resolved.

Still not reneging on my vow not to take up Off-Limits Boy, in case you were wondering. And even if I did, I'd have no way of contacting him. Not that I want to. Really.

Haha. I'm watching "Rush Hour" right now. Chris Tucker never ceases to crack me up. But one thing I've never been able to figure out: just which bad guy, exactly, is Juntao?! Unsolved mystery. But yippee, tomorrow's a day off, and Friday, I begin training at VS! I'm so excited (hello, discount! I've calculated that I will basically be working there for free). Things are good. In my head, I tried to finish off the statement, "In a perfect world, what would happen?" I was pleasantly surprised to realize that just about everything is in its place for now. Honestly. Except for the whole Pistons-being-eliminated thing and the no-disposable money-thing. But that's why I have a job, right? And, the Red Wings just won the Stanley Cup! So that's a nice little consolation.

The Cups of My Brain Spilleth Over

Ah, nothing like a relaxing day spent plopped out on the various cushy, horizontal sitting apparatuses of my house. Somewhere in between "Living Single" reruns, doing my nails, and scarfing down the delicacy that is peanut butter-and Saltine cracker-sandwiches, I managed to swing by CNN and check out the numbers. Satisfied that Barack is, indeed, raining on them hoes, I happily switched back over to the "Deion and Pilar" marathon and went about my business (Pilar is great and has a banging body but homegirl cannot dress). And surfed the web for "Obama is my homeboy" t-shirts.

I think I might want a baseball or football player as a husband. Because if I married a basketball player, I might have to switch to supporting whatever team he plays for, which would result in the media branding me a "turncoat" or "treacherous wife" because there's no way I would ever switch my loyalty. Baseball and football are pretty much neutral to me (save the New England Patriots), thus avoiding that problem.

Or, hell, I'll just take him:



Yum. As a matter of fact, when you have soccer players, wrestlers and runners, who needs basketball players, anyway? (Unless it's my boo Al Horford, of course).

Update: Oh, my God, I just found his blog (the guy pictured above, not Al's)! Jesus be a Google search! But what should I do with this vital information?? I feel like I've stumbled upon gold...

This afternoon was a rainy one. Rainy and cozy, just how I like it. I burrowed in the basement, my favorite room in the house, to watch "Under the Tuscan Sun" with a blanket, in the dark, and ended up falling asleep. I haven't slept in the middle of the afternoon in awhile, and now I'll be up for hours. Which is bad because I have to get up early (again) to go to the TV Station. Tomorrow will be (should be) better because I'll actually be doing stuff. Because I swear, if they have me just hanging out, watching other people work, I'm busting out my Ipod and a magazine.

Big Boobs and One Arm

Get it? Because it's my 100th post! And also because I can be childish :)

The century mark came quickly. Maybe it's because blogging doesn't feel like work or an obligation, but something I truly love to do. So, cheers (but make mine a virgin, please). And here's to a hundred more!

On account of it being Memorial Day, we decided to boost the American economy by spending the day at this outdoor mall my mom found. 'Twas a hot Midwestern day, but we had fun, the whole family did. Dad sat down and listened to the live band while we did our dirty work, though. We didn't really buy much (well, I didn't), but it was a successful endeavor nonetheless. Since the mall was outside, people brought their dogs on leashes to walk around with. How many cute doggies we saw! It made me think of Charley, Dash, and Precious, of course. On our way out, a dog on a leash nuzzled our legs, and his owner, a cute guy with a European accent, was super-nice to us and asked us if we had a dog and whatnot. I didn't get to ask him what country he was from, but you could totally tell he wasn't from these parts. He was too nice.

I've been extremely materialistic lately in the fact that I can't stop browsing for stuff to buy online. Clothes-makeup-shoe-jewelry lust is slowly taking me over! But I figure it's harmless because I have no money to spend on these things...Lordy, that barbecue sure smells good. Scratch what I said about not enjoying being home!

I finally talked to BFF, yesterday and today, which is like, a record for us! We're already making plans for her to come visit me next year, I absolutely cannot wait. I haven't seen her since our high school graduation, which feels so long ago! Anyway, she told me about her relationship biz and I told her about mine. She had some good, albeit vague, advice for a problem (and a recurring, unsettling dream) that I've been having. She said, "Get over it." Short and sweet. But we know how I am about even the best advice...I'm optimistic, though. It's going to be a long, good summer.

A List That Might Never be Complete

Things I Need to Do:

1. Clean room. It is an unholy mess.
2. Walk to CVS and buy a magazine. Preferably Glamour or Cosmo.
3. Do yoga. Must do at least 3 times a week and have only done it twice.
4. Flatiron hair. Edges are looking a little crispy.
5. Watch season finale of Grey's Anatomy and season opener of Kimora:LiFL. Missed former due to basketball game (Piston victory, so well worth the sacrifice).
6. Call BFF. Have not spoken to said BFF since coming home.
7. Schedule lunch with various hometown friends. Keep forgetting due to tiredness, being busy, and/or general life obligations, and am starting to feel slightly guilty as a result.
8. Drop off numerous job applications. Still in need of money.

One thing that's been crossed off is "find internship." Because now I have one! Yours truly is now an unpaid intern at an independent/underground record label. One of their groups has sold multi-platinum albums, and other artists are placing high on both the Heatseekers and Billboard charts. So that's cool. And I've got free swag already. Like I may have already mentioned, the genre of music is totally not my scene, but it's experience nonetheless. Before I wanted to be a sportswriter, I toyed with the idea of being a music manager. Maybe this internship will make me give it more serious thought. The Head PR Guy (nickname pending) was really chill, too, and everyone was wearing sweatshirts and jeans. I definitely was overdressed in my nice jeans, heels, blazer, and, Lord help me, silky leopard-print top. But better to be overdressed than under-dressed, right?

Check me out, I actually have an internship. Huh. Go me.

This evening we embarked on one of my favorite summer family traditions. After I got back from the internship and Middle Sister came back from practicing driving (help us, oh Lord), we piled in the car and went to the drive-thru A&W, where they bring the food to you to be eaten in your car. It's always the same, the three of us, jammed in the backseat, laughing and bickering, my parents up front, chatting and listening to the radio. While we eat, we come up with some dorky "conversation starter" games. This time, it was random trivia: "What Shakespeare play is 'The Lion King' based on?" or "What college did Oprah go to?" or "Who was the first black person to serve on the Supreme Court?" (my dad's question. Y'all know how old-school black people are!) We had a good time. My mother surprised me; when I asked, "What is Snoop Dogg's real name?" she answered, without hesitation, "Calvin Broadus," and popped a fry in her mouth like it was nothin'!

The best summers, to me, are those filled with drive-in movies, trips to Dairy Queen, family barbecues, good music, bathing suits, and cloudless sunny days that fade into lazy, purple-skied evenings. The best summers make you honestly and truly glad to be alive.

Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich
And your momma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry

One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky

But till that morning
There's a'nothing can harm you
With daddy and momma standing by

Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich
And your momma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry

"Summertime" by George Gershwin, from the musical Porgy and Bess